Friction cut-off coupling



March 15, 1932.

G. H. WOOD FRICTION OUT-OFF COUPLING Filed April 11, 1930 lllll i- 391*Fig-Q is a plan 7 Patented Mar. 1 5, 1932 ononen I-I. woon; on"CHAMBERSBURG, r nnNsYLvAn'IA 1 cnnrcfldncur-Orr oonrrrnef :1

, Applicationlfiled April 11, 19am; steam, 443,405

l My invention relates to clutches and cut-off couplings for couplingtwo shafts together so that there shall be: an easy start- '7 ing torquefor the 'sha ft'to'be coupled; and

isof the type in which axially movable fric-r' tion platesare' mountedin that part 'ofthe clutch mounted on one shaft ithat'cooper'ate withone or more rod-guided,axially movable friction plates 'onthe other halfor part TL fof the coupling, mounted on the contiguous shaft. 1 M- A 7It is the; objectof this invention to pro;- vide in such a couplingmeans toprevent the continual noise due tothe 'striking .of the secondset of 'fri'ction 'pla'tes 'against their I rods, soithat thistypeofclutch" Will, inoperatiombe noiseless, greatly reducethe Wear of themetal parts, .andhaveflexibilitywith. resp'ect to shafts that areslightly out of line, i530 and is especiallyadaptable to use whereintermittentload or impulse is'present; f VA. constructional embodimentof my invention, 'Whichhas operated with full satisfaction to the usersthereof with heavyduty machines is illustratediin the accompanying dr wis, in

Figure: 1 is a side view ofmyf coupling partlyin vertical section. onthe line 2 20f; p V I H are preferablyy but'not neces'sarilyljcastinqFig. 2; I

' a the holding bolts for the pinjring.

One S a, jsay the j driving 'shaftfl', is o aligned with the drivenshaft 2, either abutting it or having a countersunk connection one with'the other ,.as is 'cust'omaryfwith, aligned shafts. The shaft 2 isusually directly connected :tdtlie machine to be driven.

I On one of the shafts, s ay the drivingshaftv 1, is sleeve 3 jhaving'fat its end abrass bushing 4 terminating at a the endaof'the 45shaft 1. At the opposite end o f'the sleeve 3 is the customary shiftingcollar 5 to which are pivoted the several links" 6 pivoted to theseparate locking levers '7. Theselocking levers are hook-shapech; and onone side engage under a bead 8 on a fulcrum ring 9 sliding on sleeve 3;

p H 4 iew: of a portion tif theh clutch casing, showing a key heldxbyone of' the hooks are recesses 10 in which engage one end ofshortzpivotlplatesgll-whose opposite ends' engage recesses 12 :on africtionmember or plate 13* integral With sleeve 3. j

Y "In addition to this are one or morefric tron membersorplates 14sliding on sleeve 3,1 7

Draw-bolts 15 loosely pass" through all these friction plates, thehooked ends of the locking levers and the fulcrunr' plate, and

carry between the friction. plates spreader springs for. releasing theplates.

' The V foregoing structure described in def Lt LiS' l knQW 'i l "On theabutting or driven ,shaft is mounted the other clutch half comprising aI sleevetl7 that fits; over thebrass bushing 4; :V

for keeping the two shafts;centered; and has a flangelS to whichissecuredbybolts'1l9 a a disc having'a' flange '21 e2itending over, theaforementioned friction plates 13 and '14. This flange has at its freeend-an out Wardly' extending bolting rim :22 1 through which'passbo'ltjs'23 holdingfa'n inwardly'ex-l tending ring 24. However; if rods28"are sufficiently large'they neednot have bearing a in ring gfandthis'ring may thenbe omitted.

The disc 2O, its flan e 21 and the flange one piece, and are split at25'at diametrically opposite points, and the two. halves are'held 5together by, bolts 26 passing through ears 27;

f The disc2'0 has bores through it at various points of'itsfouterportion near flange -21',

v in Whichare secured rods 28 secured grub j'screWs-29.

I .The uterends ofthese rods 28'bear holes a in tlie ring'2'4, which ispositioned for proper alignmentof the holes and boresbya, key a '30throughhwhich one of thebolts- 23 passes'.

Each rod128 carries a lsle'eve 3l ofi'flexible,

noise-preventing; material; as rubber; V

erably ha'ving'portions ofwenl'arged diameter j fl32fprovidecl withbevllededges33, andprefera'bly' of. less length than the length of theopenings or holes in the {floating friction members or plates '34. The'holesof these plates 34am also bevelled at 35.

'- The object of these bevels 33 and'st is t6 prevent the floatingfriction plates 34 from the: opposite faces of V i DS SPATENT catchingon the rubber sleeves as these plates are moved axially the smalldistance between their released position and their clutched position.

The floating friction plates are not supported by the rubber sleeves,but have bearings at their peripheries on the ring flange 21, thuspreventing any wear of the sleeves due to such support as they move backand forth.

The floating friction plates .34 carry friction facings 36, as iscustomary.

In Figure 1 I have shown the' eyes of the floating friction plates 84:as having an easy sliding fit with the sleeves 31, and each sleevecommon to all the plates, but in Fig. 3 I have shown considerable spacebetween the eyes and the isleeves,'and have provided a separate sleeve31 for each plate 34 on each rod 28.; and where there is more than onefriction 7 plate a washer 37 maybe placed between the sleeves.

The operationfis similar to that of friction cuteofl' clutches ofsimilar type, except that when the clutch is closed the rubber sleeves.or. gas engines.

It will be noted that the disc 20, flange 21 and ring '24 form a casingsubstantially closed by the member 13, so that all the partsenclosed-thereby are protected from dust and injury.

I claim 1. In a friction clutch, a disc on one half of the clutch havinga flange projecting therefrom thereby. forming a chamber for said disc,at least one floating friction disc member peripherally supported withinthe :chamber and guided in its'movement in engagement with said flange,rods mounted at one end in said disc and passing through the members,

flexible sleeves on the rods along which said members move toa slightextent,- and friction members on the other half of the clutchcooperating with the first mentioned-members. 2 In a friction clutch, adiscv on one half of the clutch having a flange projecting therefromthereby forming :a chamber for said disc, ,at least one floatingfriction plate peripherally supported within the chamber andinengagement withsaid flange, rods mounted atone end in said disc "andpassing through said ,plate,'a ring on't-he end ofsaid flange supportingtheoppos'ite ends .of said rods, yielding sleeves on said, rods alongwhich said floating plate has limited movement, and friction plates onthe other clutch half cooperating with the aforesaid plate. 3. In afriction clutch, a disc on one clutch half having a flange projectingtherefrom 5 forming a chamber for said .disc, a plurality of floatingfriction plate members peripherally supported within the chamber inengagement with said flange, rods mounted at one end in said disc andpassing through said members, rubber sleeves on the rods, there beingone sleeve for each member on each rod,

nient' with said flange, rods mounted at one end in said disc andpassing through said members, rubber sleeves on the rods, there beingone sleeve for each member on each rod, a spacing washer between thesleeves on a rod, and frictlon members on the other clutch halfcooperating with the aforesaid members. 7

5. A friction clutch comprising a clutch half provided with a radialdisc, a flange at the peripheryof saiddisc thereby forming a chamber, aninwardly extending ring on the end of theflange, rods secured at one endin the disc and at the other end in the ring,

floating friction plates through which said .rods pass, said platesperipherally supported within thechamber and .in engagement with saidflange, and a second clutch half having flxediand movable. frictionplates cooperating with the floating plates, said fiXed platecooperating with the ring to inclose the other clutch parts between thedisc, flange and said ring and theflxed plate.

6. A friction clutch comprising two clutch .halves, one hah comprising asleeve for attachment to one shaft, said sleeve having a radial flange,for attachment to said flange a disc having a peripheral flange, boththe latter flange and disc being split and bolt-connected, saidperipheral flange having a key wayinits end, a ring having'a key waytherein for registry with the first key way and a key entering both keyways, means to hold the ring on the peripheral flange, rods secured atone end in the disc and at the other end in said ring, floating frictionplates supported ,on said rods in peripheral engagement with saidperipheral flange and through which said rods pass, and a second clutchhalf, comprisinga second sleeve for said second half on the other shaft,a friction plate fixed to the second sleeve, and slidable frictionplates on the second sleeve, said friction plates co-act- .ing with thefloating friction plates, and said fixed plate cooperating with saidring to enclose the floating and slidable friction plates inthe firstclutch half.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name hereto.

' GEORGE H. WOOD.

